Jersey Boys

Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton

*****

THERE has been a rising trend in musicals
woven around popular music. Acts like The Kinks, Abba, Queen, Carole
King and Michael Jackson have all provided the soundtracks
for top end, often award winning, productions.

Some shoehorn the tracks somewhat clumsily into
an unrelated story. Others tell the tale of the people that actually
made the music. Jersey Boys falls into the latter category and is one of
the better examples. It's helps, of course, if the story behind the
music is an engaging one. This most certainly is.

Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Nick Massi and Tommy
De Vito were friends from New Jersey with a shared passion to make
music.

Life was tough. Not a manufactured toughness
designed by the record company to make them appear to have more street
cred – but genuine hardship, which made their rise to fame all the more
impressive, given the obstacles they had to overcome.

This is a rags to riches tale that doesn't skip
over the rags. The journey of four New Jersey friend’s, intent on making
it big in the music business was far from an easy one. Spells in jail,
countless fall outs, unscrupulous producers, family tragedy and chronic
debts would have stopped lesser hopefuls dead in their tracks but by
hook or by crook, these guys made it.

What
ensues is the story of their lives, punctuated with those glorious songs
and sumptuous harmonies. It sounds simple but what makes it work so well
is the perfect mix of gritty storyline and wonderfully delivered tunes.

This is no juke box hit parade. It's a tale that
would stand alone without the songs- that's how interesting the story
is. With them though, it is musical theatre at its very best.

Every aspect of this show works. Super slick
scene changes. Razor sharp and cool choreography. Spot on sound mixing
and exciting orchestrations. This really is the full package.

Matt Corner captures Franki Valli, the rooky
singer with that iconic falsetto, to perfection. It's not an easy voice
to replicate but Corner absolutely nails it. Outstanding vocals and
considered, sensitive acting combine to make a stand out performance.

Bob Gaudio was the creative mastermind. He wrote
the music. He did the deals. He dug his heels in when producers wanted
to do things their way. On top of that, he performed in the band-
something he was never entirely comfortable with. Gaudio was the perfect
match for Valli. He knew what songs would suit that special voice and
the hits just kept on coming.

Sam Ferriday’s portrayal is mature and honest,
contrasting the more impetuous nature of his fellow band members with a
more business-like approach.

Stephen Webb oozes rascal charm as the flawed
Tommy De Vito. Every band has the bad boy. The loose cannon. Webb
captures this beautifully and gives his character huge likability.

Lewis Griffiths smoulders as bass player, Nick
Massi. A man of few words and strong views on hotel towels. Griffiths
gives Massi a soothing serenity – a safe anchor in the troubled sea of
tantrums and fall outs. Griffiths also possesses one of the deepest
voices I’ve ever heard. A bass player with a bass voice.

Good as the lead actors are, the show needs
strong support and that is delivered in spades. Characters are
seamlessly doubled up with skill and the energy onstage is consistently
dynamic.

Sometimes a show comes along that just delivers
on every level. This is one of them.

Joyful. Pulsating. Sublime. You must not miss
this. To 20-02-16

Tom Roberts

10-02-16

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

managed only one UK
No 1, December 1963 (Oh, what a night) in 1975, along with
eight top 10 hits

Season’s greetings

WHEN the
fantasic four end this award-winning show blasting out the hit Oh What a Night,
it’s entirely appropriate. Oh, what a show.

The first night audience were on their feet
joining in with gusto before heading for home, no doubt humming songs
that made Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons a global sensation.

It’s easy to understand why the show is a near
sell-out for its two-week run in the Black Country, because apart from
being packed with hit after hit, it also gives a fascinating insight
into the lives of the four ordinary lads from a tough district of
America.

The background includes stories of crime, jail
sentences, links with mobsters, big gambling debts as well as their
loves and eventually massive success. It’s not all glamour on the way
up.

It takes a little while
to set the scene, but eventually the memorable songs like Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Big Girls Don’t
Cry, Working My Way Back to You and
Bye Bye Baby
leave you in no doubt why the four pals became one of the greatest bands
of all time.

The cast, including the attractive girl singers
and dancers, are a perfect fit, with Matt Corner brilliant as Frankie
Valli, his remarkable falsetto voice thrilling the audience.

A stand-out performance, too, from Stephen Webb,
playing the ambitious group leader Tommy DeVito whose gambling created a
dangerous situation for the band, and Sam Ferriday (Bob Gaudio) and
Lewis Griffiths (Nick Massi) are excellent, too.

Directed by Des McAnuff, with Sergio Trujillo’s
choreography and Andrew Corcoran’s slick musical direction, Jersey Boys
runs to 20.02.16. It includes some strong language which is necessary to
reflect the rough background from which the lads managed to rise to
fame.